Ditch digging and cleaning machine



June 24, 1930. E. HEUMANN DITCH DIGGING AND CLEANING MACHiNE Filed July 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

June 24, 1930;

E. HEUMANN .DITCH DIGGING AND CLEANING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1927 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE EMIL HEUMANN, OF ITZEHOE, GERMANY HITCH DIGGING CLEANING MACHINE Application filed July 9, 1927, Serial No. 204,623, and in Germany February 2, 1927.

This invention relates to a ditch-digging and cleaning machine which differs from According to the invention the improved' machine consists of a frame mounted on wheels and on which a worm-like cutter is rotatably and oscillatably mounted which rotates in a semi-circular casing, which consequently is open on half its circumference and serving, when the open side of the same is placed onv the edge of the ditch, to excavate and to elevate the earth which is then thrown laterally upon the ground by centrifugal vanes circulatingin a casing. The

cutter, which presents the advantage that liquid admixtures, as water and the like, can run off instantaneously and need not be lifted with the earth, and is connected preferably with a fore-cutting knife adapted to execute a reciprocating movement in longitudinal direction. I

On the lower end of the cutter-envelope a cutting-mechanism is arranged, designed to remove grass and weeds.

A ditch digging and cleaning machine according to the invention is shown, partly diagrammatically, by Way or example, in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

.Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine.

Fig. 4 shows on larger scale the cutting device, partly in section viewed from the rear.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows in elevation the fore-cutting knife.

Fig. 7 shows the fore-cutting knife and its operating means viewed from the rear, partly in section.

The frame 1 of the machine is carried by the axle 2 of a running wheel 3 of great diameter, by a side-wheel 6 adapted to be ad-* justed in vertical direction by means of a spindle land hand-wheel 5, and by the two front wheels 7. The front wheels 7 may be steered from the drivers seat 8 by means of a steeringwheel and chain or rod transmission.

The running wheel 3, the cutting device 5 and the fore-cutting knife, which will be hereinafter described, are driven from a motor 10 which rotates a shaft 14 through the intermediary of a sprocket wheel 11, chain 12 and sprocket wheel 13. 'The rotating movement of shaft 14 is transmitted upon the counter-shaft 17 by gear-wheels 15 and 16. The driving shaft 18'' of the cutterdevice is connected to the counter shaft 17 by a sprocket wheel 19, chain 20 and sprock- 55 et wheel 21, the axle 2 of the running wheel being driven through the intermediary of a reversible transmission-gear 22, 23 by means of the sprocket-wheels 24, 25. and the chain 26. A reciprocating movement in lon- 7o git-udinal direction is communicated to the fore-cutting knife from the shaft 27 of the transmission gear.

According to the invention a cutting-device 28 and a fore-cutting knife 29 are arranged on one side of the frame. The cutting-device consists of a Worm-like cutter 30, the threads of which are bent in upward direction like shovels and shar ened at the outer edges. The worm is pre erably coneshaped, in order, that on the one hand, the angle of inclination of the slope'may be obtained and that, on the other hand, the exca vated material accumulating in the worm from below upward finds a gradually enlarg- 5 ing space. The hub 31 ofthe worm is pushed over a vertical shaft 32 and keyed on thesame by'groove and spring-key.

The worm, as shown in Fig. 4, is preferably subdivided from thread to thread, when one worm thread should break, only the corresponding portion of the worm need be interchanged. The worm is partially enclosed by a semi-circular tightly fitting envelope 33, the open side of which faces the frame of the machine, so that the worm can be pressed at this side into the earth of the side of the ditch in order to elevate the earth which is excavated owing to the rotation of theworm. The envelope 33 prethe excavated material being elevated at the same time, the water in the ditch flowing constantly off along the worm. The envelope 33 is at the "upper end removably connected to a casing 34 for centrifugal. vanes 35 which are rotated to throw the elevated earth through an aperture 36 sidewards upon the solid ground.

This casing '34 is fixedon the lower arm of a fork 37 which ban 5 loosely and oscillatably on an axle 18 w ichis connected to the drivin shaft 18 by a clutch 38 which automatica y disengages when overloading occurs.

The shaft 32 of the worm issupeported on the fork 37 by means of 'a ballaring 39 and its position can be adjusted in vertical direction by means of an adjusting ring 40 so that, when said shaft is lowered, due or more additional worm threads may be mounted on the shaft, an intermediate envelo being then inserted between the enve o 33 and the casing 34. On-the shaft 32 a vel-wheel 41 is mounted in which the-shaft 32 can be shifted in longitudinal direction said bevel-wheel being connected to said shaft by tongue and springkey,' said bevel-wheel 41 meshing with a bevel-wheel 42 on the shaft 18. The centrifugal vanes 35 are mounted in a sleeve 43, loosely mounted on the shaft 32 so-that it can rotate around the same. and supported by means of the a ball-bearing 44 and separately driven by bevel wheel 45 from a bevel-wheel 46 on shaft 18.

On the lower free end of the cuttingdevice a shear-like cutting device 47, 49 is arranged as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which is desi ed for cutting the grass or weeds on fittom of the ditch. This cuttin device consists of a stationary cutter-bla e 47 fixed, on the cutter-envelope '33 and of .a knife 49 and moved to and fro by an eccentric 48 of shaft 32. Both cuttin blades 37 and 39. have teeth like saws. T e knife 49 moves along the stationary blade 47 and acts like a shear.

The whole cutting-device can be loosely oscillated together with the fork 37 around the shaft 18. With this object in view a spur-wheel 50 is fixed on the fork 37 with which meshes a spur-wheel 52 mounted on a shaft 51 and adapted to be bro ht, from the drivers seat, into any desir position by means of a hand-lever 53, ada ted to be locked so that a more or less inc ed posi- 'tion, can be given to the cutting-device.

'The entire mechanism canbe secured in {any adjusted'position by means of chains of the ditch-side. With this object in view the knife 29 is connected by an intermediate link .62and a bolt 61 to an eye 64 of the ring 63 of the eccentric 55, WhlCh is rotated by the spur-wheels 56 and 57 and moves the eccentric ring 63 and through the same the knife 29 up and down. The knife 29 is hingedly connected by a-bolt 58 to the link 62 so that the knife can be also oscillated in lateral direction and adjusted accordin to the angle of inclination of the ditch-side. With this object in view the knife 29' is shiftably guided in a block 65 adapted to be shifted in lateral direction by means of a screw spindle having a handwheel 59. This screw spindle is screwed in the block and extends through a longitudinal slot 68 of the knife 29. A ball 66 at the endof the screw s indle 60 is movably mounted in a bearing 67 forming part of the frame 1.

' The construction of the machine described may evidently be modified as desired. The driving mechanisms for the several devices might be otherwise combined without departing from the idea of the invention. v

I claim I 1. A ditch digging and cleaning machine, comprising in combination a frame mounted on wheels, an envelope of semi-circular cross section oscillatably mounted on the side of said frame so that the open portion of .said envelope faces said frame, a wormlike cutter rotatable in said envelope for digging and elevating the earth, a casing above said envelope and havin a lateral outlet opening, circulating centri ugal vanes in said casing, a fore-cutting knife on said frame in front of said cutter and for loosening the earth, and a cutting mechanism on the lower end of said cutter for cutting the grass and weeds in the ditch.

2. 1'- a ditch-digging and cleaning machine as specified in claim 1 the worm-like. cutter of. conical shape and composed of several thread portions, and an axle on which said thread portions are mounted.

3. A ditch-digging and cleaning machine. as specified in claim 1 comprising in combination with the cutter-worm and its axle, I and with the centrifugal vanes, --a driving axle of the machine, a fork oscillatably mounted on said driving axle said axle of the worm cutter being suspended to said,

fork, a sleeve to which said centrifugal vanes 1 are fixed said sleeve being loosely mounted on said worm axle, and an oscillatin ar for adj g said worm axle to any esired inclined position.

' 4. In a ditch-digging and cleaning ma- 1 chine as specified in claim 1, the fore-cutting knife, a bolt fixed on the machine frame and on which said fore-cutting knife is mounted so that it can be oscillated in lateral direction, and an eccentric actuated from a driving shaft of the machine and communicating to said fore-cutting knife a reciprocating movement in longitudinal directions.

5. In a ditch-digging and cleaning machine as specified in claim 1, a cutting mechanism on the lower end of the cutter worm comprising in combination with the axle of the cutter worm, a stationary counter cutting edge, a movable knife, and an eccentric on said axle for operating said movable knife.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EMIL HEUMANN. 

